Process of producing coupling flanges



Aug. 4, 1931. J. SORENSEN 1,817,854

PROCESS OF PRODUCING COUPLING FLANGES Filed June 11, 1929 145 Z0 Z1 Z7 Z5 2 LLH:

INVENTOR TTORNEY Patented Aug. 4, 1931 PATENT OFFICE JOHN SOBENSEN, OF RAVENNA, OHIO PROCESS OF PRODUCING COUPLING FLANGES Application filed June 11,

The invention relates to a process of producing a coupling flange on a metal pipe and more particularly on a soft metal pipe.

An important object of the invention is d to provide a simple, inexpensive and practicable method of making a coupling flange adjacent to but spaced from the end of the pipe. Another object of the invention is to be effective to produce the desired result irrespective of any ordinary irregularities at the I end of the pipe or tube.

Other objects and advantages will appear upon consideration of the following detailed description and the drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the arrangement of the tube in'the dies and the plug in the tube, preparatory to forcing the dies together longitudinally of the plug, the top of the clamping die being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1 but showing the dies brought together and the flange in completed form, the top of the clamping die being omitted; and

Fi 3 y is a longitudinal sectional view showing the tube with the finished flange se cured in a coupling adapted for use therewith.

The objects of the invention are attained in general by supporting the end of the tube against inward deformation at the point where the flange is to be formed and also at each side of said'point, supporting the tube against outward deformation at each side of the flange forming point, pressing the parts of the tube at opposite sides of said point towards said point to cause the tube to bulge outwardly, and confining the bulging portion to shape it, as desired.

Referring to the drawings, 9 indicates the v upper half and 10 the stationary lower half of a die in which are'clamped the tube or pi e 11 and a plug 12 within the tube and of su stantially the same diameter as the passage at the interior of the tube, the tube projecting from the die, which may be designat- 1929. Serial No. 870,083.

ed by 13, and the plug projecting from the end of the tube. It should be understood that the upper half 9 of the die 13 is substantially the same as the lower half 10 and that they may be clamped together by any suitable means such as bolts or screws 14 passing through openings in the die member 9 and screwing into the die member 10.

The ends of the tube 11 and the plug 12 which project from the die 13 project into a second, die 15, which preferably is a solid member suitablydrilled and is provided with a bore 16 to receive the forward end of the plug 12 and with a counter-sunk part 17 to receive the forward end of the tube with its forward end in engagement with the shoulder 18 at the plane of division between the bore 16 and the counter-sunk portion or part 17 Upon pressing the two dies 13 and 15 together, preferably by holding the die 13 stationary and moving the die 15, the portion of the tube 11 between the two dies, being supported at the inside, bulges outwardly and forms a flange 19, of which the shape is determined in any suitable manner, as,for example, by providing at the inner ends of the dies 13 and 15, respectively, registering grooves 20 and 21 formed at the ends of the pipe receiving passages and surrounding the pipe or tube in said passages. Preferably these grooves are so shaped that the cross section of each one is in the form of a sector with a central angle of so that the cross section of the flange is substantially semicircular.

Upon completion of the shaping or swaging operation by which the flange 19 is made, the tube 11 with the flange thereon can readily be removed from the dies and the plug 12 can readily be removed from the tube.

The flanged tube thus formed is especially adapted for use with a coupling, such as shown in Fig. 3, which includes a member 22 having at one end a bore 23 of suchdiameter that the body of the tube will fit therein and at its other end a countersunk threaded bore 24 of considerably larger diameter and terminating at its inner end at a shoulder 25 provided at its inner edge with an annular groove 26 of such cross section that slightly less than half of the flange 19 will lit therein. The tube prior to forming the flange 19 may be passed through the bore 23. After the flange 19 is formed the flange is seated in the groove 26, and a member or union 27 may be applied to the member 22 with its externally threaded forward part 29 threaded into the internally threaded bore 24 of the member 22 and screwed into said member 22 until its forward end is brought into engage ment with the flange 19 to clamp it in the groove 26 and also in a corresponding groove 30 at the forward end of the part 29. The parts are preferably so formed that when the grooves 26 and 30 engage the flange 19 the two halves of the coupling do not seat, so that pressure is exerted in the flange as the parts of the coupling are screwed together. The shape of the grooves 26 and 30 and the hollow form of the flange 19 enable a particularly effective seal to be obtained.

An important feature bearing upon the present invention is that the end of the pipe or tube, which is upset for the connecting flange, need not be cut off square before the pipe is upset. In actual practice it is found that excess material at points along the forward edge of the pipe is driven back into the flange and a smooth perfect joint obtained. This is of importance in the field where the cutting of pipes is crudely done. Strength tests also show that the joint is an extremely strong one.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding and no undue limitation should be deduced therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as possible, in view of the prior art.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The process of producing a coupling flange on a pipe adjacent to but spaced from th nd thprnnf whir-h nnmpriqps intvnrlnning a plug into the pipe with the plug extending therefrom, supporting the pipe and plug at' one side of the flange position, supporting the pipe on the other side of the flange position against outward deformation, forcing the part of the pipe on the said other side of the flange position toward the flange position to bulge the pipe outwardly, and confining the bulged portion to produce a flange of desired contour.

2. The process of producing a coupling flange on a soft metal pipe which comprises placing in the end of the pipe to be flanged a plug of a diameter substantially that of the interior of the pipe, fastening the pipe and the .plug in die, with the part ofthe pipe to be flanged protruding and with the plug protruding from such part, confining the protruding portion of the pipe against outward deformation at a point spaced from JOHN SORENSEN. 

